Explosive assembly



Feb. 7, 1956 H. L. MOAT EXPLOSIVE ASSEMBLY Filed Sept. 8, 1950 FIG.

M owwinowowo FIG. 3

MOAT INVENTOR HARRY L FIG. 2

SmaPM EXPLOSIVE ASSEMBLY Barr L. Moat, Wilm ngton, Del, assignor to Atlas Poiv-.

der- Company, Wilmington, DL, a corporation of Delaware Application September 8,1950, set-n1 No. 183,786 8 Claims. (Cl. 102-24 The present application relates to explosive assemblies.

An object of the present invention is the provision of an explosive assembly having desirable characteristics. of sturdiness and rigidity.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of an explosive assembly having desirable properties of water resistance.

A further object of the invention is the provision of an explosive assembly which may easily be shipped apart from a primer explosive.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of an explosive assembly which is conveniently applied in the field.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of animproved end closure for an explosive assembly.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description.

According tothe present invention a container for an explosive assemblyis made up of a shell turned over or crimped at the end so as to provide a dished-in cavity. Over the crimped surface is placed a disk-like washer. A tie member extends from inside the assembly through the, crimped surface and through the washer member. The tie member is provided with an enlarged portion outside the washer so that the washer is held in place and prevented from slipping over the end of the tie member. The end wall of the shell is completed by a seal of wax like material which is cast into the dished in cavity over the washer and around the tie member. Preferably the opposite end of the assembly is similarly constructed although this is not necessary.

in a preferred embodiment of the invention the tie member is rigid and the enlarged portion is provided by means of a sleeve fastened around the tie member. The tie member may be flexible, however, in which case it is conveniently constructed of rope and the enlarged portion may be provided by a knot.

The invention will be further described by reference to the drawings which illustrate specific embodiments and in which Figure l is a top plan view of an assembly of the present invention,

Figure 2 is a fragmentary side elevation partly in section of the assembly shown in Figure 1, and

Figure 3 is a fragmentary side elevation partly in section of a modified embodiment of the invention.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings the cylindrical outside shell of the assembly is represented by 11. Shell 11 is turned over and folded inwardly to provide a floor 13 of a tray-shaped depression. Overlying floor 13 is placed disk 15. Extending through the assemly is tube 17 which serves as a tie member. Glued to tube 17 is sleeve 19 which extends over disk 15. Tube 17, disk 15, and sleeve 19 serve to maintain the end of the assembly in closed condition. Cast into the tray shaped depression, over disk 15, and around sleeve 17 is wax-like seal 21. The wax sets and seals the end of the assembly against ingress of water. The opposite end of the assem- I 2,733,658 Patented Feb. 7, 1956 2 bly represented by 23 is constructed similarly. However, before the closing of one or the two ends the shell is loaded with explosive. 25

In Figure 3 is shown a modified assembly in which the tie member is a flei'cible cord 27 provided with a knot 29. The remaining parts of the assembly shown in Figure 3 are like those described in connection with Figures 1 and 2, and similar parts. are represented by similar primed numbers. Knot 29 is: of a size suflicient to extend over disk 15' so that cord 27 maintains the end of the assembly in closed condition.

' Various materials of construction are suitable for the assembliesv of the present invention. Ordinarily it will be found most convenient to employ shells constructed of several layers of paper glued together. Shells of this sort provide a considerable degree of water resistance. How'- ever, if greater water resistance is desired shells constructed of paper laminated with waterproofing layers are advantageously employed. Of course, other sheet materials such as semi-rigid plastics or metal can be employed. g

The disks and rigid tie members are desirably made of cardboard although obviously other materials may be employed. It should be noted that when tubular tie members open to the atmosphere, such as that shown in Figures 1 and 2,. are employed, it is desirable that they be made of water resistant construction. Cardboard tubes may conveniently be made water resistant by impregnating them with waxy materials such as parafiin.

The sealing material may be any substance which provides adhesive and sealing properties. Wax-like materials, as for example, microcrystalline wax, petroleum distillate residues, or asphalt compositions are suitable.

Since the assemblies of the present invention may be constructed to have a high degree of water resistance, they will ordinarily be used with water sensitive explosives such as are subject to leaching if they are lodged under wet con ditions for an extended period before firing. Ammonium nitrate explosive compositions having low proportions of sensitizers are in this category and are those most commonly employed. Assemblies of this type are ordinarily used with primers of more sensitive explosive.

It will be apparent that the present invention is most applicable to assemblies of relatively large diameter. Ordinarily the assemblies will be cylindrical and from about four inches to about nine inches in diameter.

Thus, it is seen that the present invention is particularly adapted for use with large diameter assemblies containing relatively insensitive explosives of low water resistance which are used with primer explosives.

In the embodiment of the assembly shown in Figures 1 and 2 the rigid tie member is made in the form of a tube having an internal size suflicient to receive a primer explosive. Then the more sensitive primer explosive may be shipped separately from the less sensitive explosive and a complete assembly with primer may be readily put together in the field by inserting a primer cartridge in the hollow tie member.

011 the other hand the rigid tie member may be inert or it may be constructed to provide a tunnel through which a detonating fuse may be strung or in which a detonator of any sort may be inserted.

While it is not necessary to the present invention that both ends of the assembly be formed in the manner described, this construction is usually preferable.

It will readily be seen that the present invention provides an explosive assembly which fulfills the objects enumerated above.

What is claimed is:

1. An explosive assembly comprising a shell having an end wall, an explosive material in said shell, said end wall including a portion of said shell folded over so as to provide an inwardly extending tray-shaped depression in the end of said shell, a washer member overlying said folded portion exteriorly of the shell end wall, a tie member secured against displacementlongitudinally of the shell and extending from inside said shell through said folded portion and said washer member, an enlarged portion on said tie member disposed exteriorly of said shell and overlying said washer member so as to prevent passage of said washer member over the end of said tie member, and a seal cast into said tray shaped depression and over said washer.

2. An explosive assembly comprising a shell having an end wall, an explosive material in said shell, said end wall including a portion of said shell folded over so as to provide an inwardly extending tray-shaped depression in the end of said shell, a washer member overlying said folded portion exteriorly of the shell and wall, a rigid tie member secured against displacement longitudinally of the shell and extending from inside said shell through said folded portion and said washer member, a sleeve afiixed to said tie member and outwardly overlying said washer member so as to prevent passage of said washer member over the end of said tie member, and a seal cast into said tray shaped depression and over said washer.

3. An explosive assembly in accordance with claim 2 in which said tie member is a tube constructed and arranged to receive a cartridge of primer explosive.

4. An explosive assembly in accordance with claim 2 in which said tie member is a tube constructed and arranged to receive a cartridge of primer explosive, and in which said cartridge has two opposed end walls both of which are similarly constructed, and in which said tie member extends between said end walls.

5. An explosive assembly comprising a shell having an end wall, an explosive material in said shell, said end wall including a portion of said shell folded over so as to provide an inwardly extending tray-shaped depression in the end of said shell, a washer member overlying said folded portion, a flexible tie member secured against displacement longitudinally of the shell and extending from inside said shell through said folded portion and said washer member, an enlarged portion on said tie member and overlying said washer member so as to prevent passage of said washer member over the end of said tie member, and a seal cast into said tray shaped depression and over said washer.

6. An explosive assembly in accordance with claim 5 in which said enlarged portion is a knot in said flexible tie member.

7. An explosive assembly in accordance with claim 1 in which said cartridge has two opposed end walls both of which are similarly constructed, and in which said tie member extends between said end walls.

8. An explosive assembly comprising a cylindrical multi-ply paper shell having two opposed end walls, an ammonium nitrate containing explosive in said shell, each said end wall including a portion of said shell folded over soas to provide an inwardly extending tray-shaped depression, a cardboard washer member outwardly overlying each said folded portion, a rigid cardboard cylindrical tubular tie member extending between said end walls and through said folded portions and said washer members, said tubular tie member being constructed and arranged to receive a cartridge of primer explosive, a sleeve afiixed to each end of said tie member and outwardly overlying each said washer member, so as to prevent passage of said washer members over the ends of said tie members, and a seal of microcrystalline wax cast into each said trayshaped depression and over each said washer.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 910,722 Purcell Ian. 26, 1909 2,044,004 Kessenich June 16, 1936 2,305,729 Netf Dec. 22, 1942 2,408,189 Baker Sept. 24, 1946 2,461,209 Grampp Feb. 8, 1949 2,463,709 McFarland Mar. 8, 1949 2,565,380 Lawrence Aug. 21, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 14,548 Great Britain of 1893 

1. AN EXPLOSIVE ASSEMBLY COMPRISING A SHELL HAVING AN END WALL, AN EXPLOSIVE MATERIAL IN SAID SHELL, SAID END WALL INCLUDING A PORTION OF SAID SHELL FOLDED OVER SO AS TO PROVIDE AN INWARDLY EXTENDING TRAY-SHAPED DEPRESSION IN THE END OF SAID SHELL, A WASHER MEMBER OVERLYING SAID FOLDED PORTION EXTERIORLY OF THE SHELL END WALL, A TIE MEMBER SECURED AGAINST DISPLACEMENT LONGITUDINALLY OF THE SHELL AND EXTENDING FROM INSIDE SAID SHELL THROUGH SAID FOLDED PORTION AND SAID WASHER MEMBER, AN ENLARGED PORTION ON SAID TIE MEMBER DISPOSED EXTERIORLY OF SAID SHELL AND OVERLYING SAID WASHER MEMBER SO AS TO PREVENT PASSAGE OF SAID WASHER MEMBER OVER THE END OF SAID TIE MEMBER, AND A SEAL CAST INTO SAID TRAY SHAPED DEPRESSION AND OVER SAID WASHER. 